Alan

Akro:

Thats a lot of as-mades"!

Then there is when the marbles become the tops:

Ravenswood:

FWIW: Akro fluorescent cullet - two colors:

Your problem isn't your hardware. Understand the working limits of your camera, your optics and use them within those limits. Understand the challenges of using your camera on the "Auto" setting - and the compromises that it may be making in the background that you are unaware of. Use lighting effectively. Don't use your macro (not "micro") lens so close to the subject that you fall outside the focal length limits - or have issue with focus at x aperture. For most of us - understanding how our camera and optics work is more important than new hardware.

Marble-inspired Easter eggs:

Nice Akro boxes. Its a shame the funnel is broken - as almost all of them are.

Looks like an odd anemic onionskin.

I don't own one. Micas can have some variable color due to variation in the glass and the diameter.

You need to get it off the ceiling at some point....

Chilled glass, including rollers that aren't up to temp.

I should follow-up my earlier comment: I see nothing on the pictured piece that caused me to question it's authenticity. My comment of "one-off" was not meant to exclude its cane-cut nature - but to recommend that we all consider not trying to classify something into the nearest category for the sake of classifying it. Some designs/construction are tough to classify because they are essentially unique. Its nice to see something that is outside the box. Its a cool piece - one that I wouldn't mind owning.

I (think I) see the Onionskin-like core - although I would love to see a photo taken in a glass of water. The red appears to be oxblood. I think its going to be tough (and inexact) to describe it as any given named type. It appears to be a "one-off".

By striking the glass. Some of those I've seen have a slight purple cast.

Gerry Colman - 100% glass.

I am very sorry for your loss. May you find peace in the many good memories that come from your time together.

Does anyone know where to buy authentic-looking brown boxboard in the U.S., preferably online? All of the sources I have seen (hobby etc) seem to be overseas or huge bulk wholesale. I want to make a box of my own to house some same-type marbles. Thanks!

Something is odd about that marble. Certainly odd for claimed Akro.

Agree - looks like it picked up some crud on the rollers. Possibly colorant.

Bob's points are all correct.

There is no such thing as a "same run" in machine mades. Certainly not in any standard Akro type. Sparklers were made for years. The whole point to the vintage marble trade was to standardize a marble design, and then produce it true to that type for as long as there was commercial demand. Marble makers didn't want variation in a marble type - which is why the refuse dumps were so so large. They threw away marbles that came out not true to the desired standard appearance.

They need to be larger than 1: dia. Almost 100% of them have an orange peel surface. I own one that is slightly larger than 1" dia. - but it is simply a large corkscrew and not a JR.